Special Reports

The National Championship Air Races and Airshow will once again be held at Reno Stead Airfield in Reno, Nev. Scheduled for September 14 to 18, this is the last pylon racing event in the world, where seven classes of aircraft race around the course–sometimes at more than 500 mph.

Is economizing the new normal? Certainly not for all users of business aviation. But evidence from several quarters suggests that many private-aircraft travelers, including experienced owners who fly frequently, are placing cost higher on their list of considerations.

As soon as its first owner departs from the manufacturer’s delivery center, a new airplane technically become used (or pre-owned). For various reasons, however, 10 years after an aircraft’s production date is generally considered the milestone separating “newer” used business aircraft from “older” ones.

For Mike, a part-owner of a mid-size jet, the moment of truth came when the company that insured the aircraft started sending requests for payment. The problem was, he and his partners had already prepaid for their insurance through JetDirect Aviation, the firm that managed the aircraft and made it available for charters.

Remember the CEOs from Chrysler, Ford and GM who flew on business jets to Washington to testify before a Congressional committee in the fall of 2008? Pressed to explain their use of corporate aircraft, they all looked and sounded as if they'd been caught doing something wrong.

Supporters of business aviation often point out that there are more than 5,000 airports in the U.S. that are accessible by general aviation aircraft. But that figure includes everything from large international airline hubs to tiny grass strips.

Over the years, more than a few all-business-class airlines have tried to lure customers who might otherwise opt for private aviation. What we haven't often seen is a corporate flight department trying to morph itself into an airline with the same goal in mind. But that has happened at least once.